Lunt's World

Monday, August 27, 2007
The White Castle Preacher
While walking down the street here in Chicago next to a White Castle fast food establishment, I noticed three lampposts that had a strange message plastered all over them. It looked like this message was hand written on two unique posters. A photo, probably of some actress, captioned "Beautiful Mary" was added to both posters. There was a different picture on each poster.
I figured that if someone took the trouble to write this rather preachy "sermon" to preserve the honor of his dream girl, I should publish it and share it with the world. I took a picture of the two posters from one of the lampposts and tried to make out what they said. Exact copies of these posters were on the other lampposts. Here is the sermon as written in the rough poetry of the streets. I tried to keep the spelling and grammar intact to preserve the flavor of this work.

First Poster
BEAUTIFUL GORGEOUS MARY DONT YOU DEAR SELL DOPE OR BURN IN HOT LAVA FOREVER HELL HEAVEN IS A MILLION TIMES MORE THRILLING THAN SIN IS. ITS THE GOD TRUTH. GOD THE FATHER TOLD SAINT WILLIAMS ORG - THAT HEAVEN IS A TREMENDOUS THRILL OF ECSTCAY FOREVER. DONT BE A BIG BIG FOOL AND GIVE UP HEAVEN. STOP SHACKING UP OR BURN IN HELL. STAY SOBER FOREVER OR BURN IN HELL HOT LAVA FOREVER. ASK CHRIST TO COME INTO YOUR LIFE. THROW AWAY FILTHY MOVIES FILTHY BOOKS.
Second Poster
PRAY THE ROSARY IT HAS GREAT POWER TO KEEP THE DEVIL AWAY OR PRAY IN MIND A FEW MINUTES. DONT YOU DEAR SHACK UP OR YOU WILL MAKE GOD THE FATHER AND CHRIST AND MARY CRY BLOOD. STAY MARRIED CHRIST SAID ONE MARRIAGE. IF YOU ARE DIVORCED DONT YOU DEAR MARRY AGAIN OUT SIDE OF THE CHURCH OR YOU WILL BE LIVING IN FILTHY ADULTERY MORTAL SINS YOU MEN DONT YOU DEAR TALK A WOMAN INTO SHACKING UP WITH YOU. COWARD RAT IS WHAT YOU ARE. YOU STOP WITH CRIME OR HOT LAVA FOREVER HELL.
written by The White Castle Preacher (This is what I call him.)
Many bloggers are used to reading well written and neatly formatted stories. Yet, many of the people in the world around us still have a great deal of trouble communicating with their fellow human beings. This individual is pretty much like a primitive blogger without a blog or a computer, just a couple of lampposts on the streets of Chicago. He, probably, will never know that his prophetic words have passed into the collection of data perpetually circulating throughout the vast reaches of cyberspace.
Posted by George Lunt at 1:29 PM

Sweet Tomato Nutrition Facts

Lycopene is well known as a preventer of prostate cancer, which makes tomatoes high on the healthy food list for men.

Lycopene is not just important for men though. It is a powerful antioxidant and as such helps to protect the cells in our bodies from damage.

More facts about tomatoes? The vitamin B6, niacin, potassium and folate found in abundance in tomatoes are potent protectors against heart disease.

Niacin can lower high cholesterol levels and potassium has been shown to lower high blood pressure and to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Vitamin B6 and folate also work to convert the homocysteine in our bodies into harmless molecules. High levels of homocysteine are associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

The fiber in tomatoes also helps lower cholesterol levels, helps prevent colon cancer and helps to keep blood sugars at a low level.

Tomatoes are a source of riboflavin which has been shown to be helpful for migraine sufferers by reducing the frequency of their headaches.

The facts about tomatoes definitely point to this fruit/vegetable as a nutrient powerhouse and a super food to be enjoyed as often as possible.





Your Daily Recipe!
Chilled Tomato Soup with Cilantro-Yogurt Swirl

INGREDIENTS:
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 5 cups)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
2 teaspoons chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, (see Note)
1 cup fresh corn kernels, (from about 2 ears; see Note)
1 cup ice water
2 tablespoons lime juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt

How to Save Money
My Daughter developed a new hobby: Turning off lights. There's also an element of Tag, You're It, as this game involves following her son around as he tries to flip every switch in her home..
This a good example for us ( For us, Seniors)

Adding your signature to a painting is like adding a stamp to it that reads "finished". It's a sign that you're satisfied with the painting and no longer consider it a work in progress.
Is It Really Necessary to Sign a Painting?It's not a legal requirement, but if you don't add your name to a painting, how will anyone know who the artist is? You may argue that you've a very familiar style that people will recognize, but what if it's the first time someone's encountered your work? How will they find out who the artist is then? If it's hanging in a gallery it'll have a label with your name on it, but what if it's in the lounge of someone who's bought a painting and they can't remember who the artist was? Think about the works by famous artists which are 'rediscovered' every now and then; is this a fate you want to risk for your paintings?
What Should My Signature Look Like?The most important thing is that people must be able to read it. An illegible signature isn't a sign that you're extremely creative and it doesn't add a level of intrigue to the painting. You're the artist, so let it be known. But at the same time, don't make it look like you're using a stamp. You don't have to sign your whole name on the front of the painting, you could just put your initials but it's wise to put your full name on the back of the painting. The same applies if you use a symbol or monograph; people have to have some way of knowing what it stands for.
Should I Put a Date With My Signature?I believe you should date a painting, though it needn't be next to your signature on the front. The reason: when you first start painting you'll probably be able to keep track of when you painted a particular painting, but wait until you've several years' worth of paintings, then you'll simply be unable to remember and will have to guess. Serious collectors and galleries like be able to see how a painter's work has developed over the years, so get into the habit of dating your work now. You don't have to put the date on the front of your painting, but could write it on the back (though once it's framed you may not be able to see it). Or put only the year on the front and the month and year you completed it on the back.
I don't buy the argument the argument that putting a date on a painting limits your potential to sell it. Art isn't like food, a product with a sell-buy date. If buyers only wanted the newest and latest work, then how come there's an auction market for contemporary paintings? And if anyone asks why a painting from a few years back hasn't sold, tell them you'd kept it in your personal collection until now because you regard it as a key work.
Where Do I Put My Signature? It's up to you, though traditionally a signature is put towards one of the bottom corners. A signature should be an integral part of a painting and not detract from the painting. Be consistent about where you put your signature as then when someone next encounters a painting they think by your, they know exactly where to look to check.
What Should I Use to Sign a Painting?Use whatever you've created the painting in, whether it's pastel, watercolor, whatever. Try to remember to sign the work before you clean your brushes and palette for the last time from a particular painting so you've got a suitable color to hand that will blend in with the work. (I do it with a thin rigger brush.) Having your signature 'match' the painting, rather than it looking like a later addition, also makes it less likely that someone will question the authenticity of the work at some future date (most likely after you're dead and your paintings have increased in value enormously). Avoid adding your signature on top of a layer of varnish as it'll look like you forgot to do it in time (and if you must, keep it small and rather put your full signature on the back).
Should You Sign a Painting with Your Maiden Name or Married Name?If you change your name when you get married, how should you sign your paintings? Should you continue using the name you had been, your maiden name, or should you change to your new, married name? Ultimately, it's a matter of individual preference.
If an artist is already known professionally by a maiden name, it wouldn't make sense to change it because you'd have to remarket yourself. Or if both partners are artists, then sometimes people prefer to have different names to avoid comparison. Using a maiden name certainly solves any problem if a divorce later happens, but it's hard to say to a new partner because it implies a lack of belief in a relationship, which it isn't the issue it's tied into at all. Your personal identity as an artist may be strongly tied into the name you've had since birth. There is no correct way or choice when it comes to signing a painting with your maiden name or not, it's an individual choice

You Are the Body of Christ
Mary Koon: Riverside Presbyterian Church
June 21, 2009
(All scripture taken from New Revised Standard Version)

Prayer of Illumination: Startle us this morning, O God, with the truth of your love for us. Help us to hear your word in a new way that will give life to your body, made manifest in this place. AMEN

1 Corinthians 12: 12-26

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body, “ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. Then you cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you,”
On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this.
But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

AMEN So ends the reading and may God add a blessing to our understanding.

You are the body of Christ. And each of you is important. If you weren’t part of the body, it wouldn’t be the same.

It is Father’s Day, and I promised my dad a shout-out in his honor. (I’ll email him a copy of this sermon later!) You see, my dad really gets the whole church as a body thing. He contributed his unique gifts to our local Congregational church for 50 years, serving as a trustee, chairing the stewardship committee, using his considerable creative talents to write music and text for church celebrations and anniversaries and most recently, spearheading a team to improve communication within the church. I tell you this, because my dad has always been a source of inspiration for me. Growing up, I, too, tried to contribute to the body in a variety of ways – helping in the nursery, teaching Sunday School, singing in the choir, working in the community. But when I went to college, I pursued other interests… preferring fraternity party life to life in the church. As an undergraduate I told my dad, “I am a good Christian. I can be a good Christian even if I am not a part of the church.” He looked at me and said, “Mary, that just isn’t how this whole thing works.”

My faith life was diminished because I wasn’t participating in the life of the church, and as awkward as it is to admit, the body of Christ missed me, too.

The apostle Paul is a master of metaphor, and I think the body is one of the best. It helps us see the church as a living organism, both strong and vulnerable. Paul doesn’t say, “You ought to be the body of Christ; or when you get better at what you do, then you will be the body of Christ,” he says, “You ARE the body of Christ.”

But the Corinthian church also had its share of divisive issues.

For example, some of the wealthy believers were taking their poorer brethren to court to settle disputes. Paul speaks out against this practice, arguing that judgment between church members should be handled within the community. The poorer in the church body were being taken advantage of by the richer members.

In chapter 11, Paul admonishes the wealthy for their practice at the Lord’s Supper. At that time, communion was practiced as a full blown meal complete with wine. Because the church met in homes, only those with large houses and staff could host the meal. The rich would arrive early, eating and drinking their fill and leaving little for the less fortunate church members to eat or drink. Ouch.

But in chapter 12, Paul addresses the misunderstanding surrounding the manifestation of God’s spirit among believers. He wants to encourage their unity as a church, a unity that doesn’t happen because folks are all the same, but the unity that lies in the diversity of uniquely given gifts. He expresses this brilliantly by talking about the hand, the foot, the eye and ears – different body parts.

And how does is the body created? We become the body through baptism – through our shared story of the birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. The external stuff of our lives isn’t as important as our unity in the cleansing, initiating water of life. Imagine the radical nature of Paul’s words…Greeks, Jews, slaves, free -- people are made one in the One who saves. Made one in the mystery of the risen Christ…one in awe and wonder. No room to judge or feel superior. In contemporary language? We are members of the body of Christ – made one in baptism – regardless of gender, socioeconomic status political or sexual orientation, education level, nationality, skin color or any of the other things that separate us in today’s culture.

It is God’s spirit who gives us our gifts, God’s spirit who enlivens those gifts within us, and God’s spirit who uses those gifts to build up the body. We are given talent, passions, and skills to carry out our common mission in the world so that together we make a difference. Together, we are the church.

Remember that when the church was just getting started, it consisted of house churches – all independent from one another. In fact, as Stan Schade even pointed out in the Human Scene, the diversity among believers was tremendous. Today, our church organization looks quite different. When Paul was writing, he was telling each house church to envision themselves as fully functional, unified in the spirit to support one another and share the gospel. Today, we of the Riverside Presbyterian Church are an expression of that body. But we are also a part of the entire, global church body – both within the denomination and beyond. We all thirst for God. We all drink from the same spirit, as Paul says, though our differences are many. Can we ever say to our Catholic neighbors, “we broke away from you in the reformation, so we don’t need you.” Or to our Methodist friends, “John Wesley’s doctrine of sanctifying grace doesn’t square completely with reformed theology, so we don’t need you.” Or to our Baptist cousins, “We believe in infant baptism, so we don’t need you?”

How exciting that our church actively participates in work of the Riverside/North Riverside covenant of churches. The covenant is made up clergy and laity of many of the churches in this area, promoting peace and unity through a monthly prayers for peace service, weekly pastor’s Bible study, combined Vacation Bible School in July and, this year anyway, a joint Good Friday service.

And what of those less honorable, weaker, and less respectable parts of our body that Paul talks about?

It can be tough to admit our vulnerability and need for help and support from the community. Particularly if we are the ones who are used to giving, used to being relied upon for assistance. But the scripture and lived experience reveals that there is grace both in giving and in receiving.

Perhaps your world has been turned upside down by illness, job loss, depression, an accident – oh, any number of things that life brings. Because we are the body of Christ, we all are made to feel the suffering together – and together we seek wholeness. That could mean keeping a family close in prayer, or making a phone call, lining up legal assistance, starting a support group of giving a hug at church. And as we who are used to being thought of as strong, open ourselves to receiving from the community, we experience the church at its best. One body, each person living into the gifts that God gave them, together, sharing, struggling, growing, receiving, giving, and rejoicing.

Everyone has been gifted by God’s spirit. All are important and necessary to the body’s thriving. In these challenging times for main-line religion, there is no greater message of hope.

My friend Linda was a middle aged woman in one of my former churches. Linda married Barry when he was a young widower with two boys. She raised those boys as her own, had a daughter with Barry and created a loving home for them all. At church, Barry was one of those guys who was an “out front” person. He taught an active adult Sunday School class, preached occasionally, served on the church counsel and was prominent in the community. Linda, quiet by nature, worked behind the scenes, having an impact without lots of recognition. She served meals to the elderly, cooked for families in need, was a good listener, helped in the kitchen during pot-luck suppers, and created a small cottage industry making stuffed angels and crafts. (I have one she gave me here!) I met Linda when she arrived at our Bible study bearing a homemade applesauce cake garnished with sugared pansies from her garden. Linda was warm and generous, talented and hospitable. But because her talent and gifts weren’t as out in the open as her husband, Barry’s, because she didn’t teach or lead groups, Linda felt as though she had nothing worthwhile to offer. She shared this feeling of inadequacy one day while our group did a study on spiritual gifts. Linda was doing exactly what Paul cautioned the Corinthians not to do…looking at another person’s gifts and service and finding herself lacking.

It was only after learning that helping others is considered a legitimate gift, given by God for the purpose of glorifying God and lifting up others, that Linda knew her worth. Through tears, she acknowledged that she, too, was an integral and important part of Christ’s body, created with a purpose.

After nine months with all of you, I can state with certainty that God’s spirit moves powerfully within this place. I have witnessed gifts of compassion, hospitality, musical and artistic gifts; gifts of helping, woodworking, computer skills, and pure physical strength: gifts of conversation, healing, and teaching, cooking, baking, and dishwashing; gifts of friendship, organization, and proof-reading: gifts of wedding planning, editing, and sound system operation; gifts of communion preparation, work with youth, visiting the sick, feeding the hungry, and advocating for the poor.

You are the body of Christ and I thank you for opening your lives to me this year. AMEN

THE ART OF POETRY
"BLUE"What is blue?Blue is the moonlit sky.Blue is the ocean.Blue smells like salt.Blue is a line.Blue is oh so sad.Blue is the tears from your face.Blue is rain.Blue is a shivery thing.Blue is a cold shivery pool.Blue is a big wet splash!............................ By AUDREY RESELLA

A stranger stands on a cliff,

He sounds a trumpet horn.
The music from this song.
Awakes the day's dawn.

Soon appears golden light
Which chases dark night
Another fine day to fight.

Creatures now come awake
For there lives action to take.
There worlds life they to make

The wind begins its new flight
Across sky, in flying birds sight
To travel and gust with its might
While tall trees hum breezes tune



Rocks warm with rising sun.
Heat to the suns endless fun
Later, it s hot as days done.

All to be repeated another day.
Where flo9wers and rain play
If super being wants it that way.